Monthly newspaper and online publication targeting 18 to 35 year olds. The ultimate guide to the hottest parties, going out and having fun. Music, fashion, film, travel, festivals, technology, comedy, and parties! London, Barcelona, Miami and Ibiza.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/366706
UK COMPANY 'RE-INVENTS' FRUIT USING 3D-PRINTER A British company has created a 3D-printer that makes edible fruit made from flavoured gel in seconds The device uses a culinary technique called 'spherification' to build pieces of fruit in a solution of calcium chloride, combining individual droplets into the desired shape. The 'fruit' is then spooned out and eaten. The printer allows users to customise the size, shape and taste of fruit. Flavours are created by mixing fruit juices with pow- dered sodium alginate, which is a gel-like substance that is already used widely in the food industry (ice-cream, yoghurt, cream and cheese). Cambridge company Dovetailed unveiled their new creation at an experimental conference aimed at designing new ways to enjoy the dining experience. Dovetailed has already suc- cessfully created raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants. They are now working on developing bigger fruits such as apples and pears. How the technology Works Dovetailed insists 3D fruit printing is a very simple process. The flavours come from fruit juice mixed with sodium alginate, dripped into a dish of cold calcium chlo- ride. Each droplet of the mixture forms into a tiny sphere in the calcium and this solu- tion causes the outer layer of each sphere to form its own flexible thin skin. The ingre- dients are already available in some gour- met outlets. The printer is connected to a computer and it is a program that allows us to draw what shape we want by hand. For example, you can draw a square and it will be aligned to this exact formation. How tasty printed fruit really can be Dovetailed is using all natural ingredients and it's the nutrient content of whatever they are using to reconstruct the fruit. So you can pick up a carton of fruit juice from the supermarket or used freshly squeezed juice and use that to reconstruct. The nu- trient value stays the same depending on whatever is in the juice. You can also use additional nutrients. Every other drop could be something which adds to the nutrient content of the fruit. When you bit into the fruit you get the sensation of eating fresh fruit because the tiny droplets break and release juice so it gives the diner the same sensation Theoretically it is not just fruit juice that can be used to print or reconstruct fruit or anything else for that matter. The use of other liquids is something the Dovetailed team will be experimenting with over the next phase of its innovation. It's possible to use soups, difference sauces and even alcohol. There is much more work to do but the company has a short-term goal of mar- keting its 3D fruit printer to gourmet res- taurants and foodies interested in innova- tive culinary techniques, literally adding a new dimension to the dining experience. Diners can watch how their food is being made and people can have freshly printed raspberries; this really taps into the perfor- mance side of making food. In the longer term it would be really in- teresting to see this make it into people's home. It's a real possibility but it depends on how we design it as well for the next phase. But it could be a case that it be- comes another kitchen appliance right next to the coffee machine. 54 Issue 64 / 2014 FOOD guestlist.net